FREE delivery on orders over $42
FREE delivery on orders over $42
The moths are fond of light, and any glimpse of high-intensity light will attract them.
March 1, 2022
19 min read time
This information is reviewed by an independent pest control expert.
All external links are non-affiliated and for informational purposes only
Table of Contents
Pantry moths are one of the most common household pests present everywhere. Moths are dark greyish or brown. There are more than 11,000 unique species of these pests only in the United States of America.
Due to their thousands of species, it is common to have a moth infestation in your household. The size of a moth can range from the tip of a pencil to about 4.5 inches long. These flying bugs are also called meal moths.
They are meal moths because these bugs are usually found in dry food containers. These bugs live and grow inside dry food storage boxes. Furthermore, some species of moths are also referred to as clothes moths. The clothes moths love clothes made of wool and cashmere.
Moths are flying bugs that mostly rely on food sources in the kitchen and woolen clothes as their primary food. On a lighter note, these pests are not biting insects.
Moths are present in almost every household. There are numerous things in a house to which the moths are attracted. Food is the major source of attraction for moths. Moreover, these bugs also eat carpets and rugs. Woolen and cashmere clothes are the favorite of these bugs.
The dry food that you purchase from a grocery store may contain moths in large quantities. Mostly, the larvae are present in dry food items. These pests can chew through the plastic bags of food items.
Hence, they can come to your home and pantry through these kinds of food items.
Moreover, they can also come along with new clothes that you have purchased. Your central heating system in the house is another attractive place for the moths to find shelter.
The lifecycle of a moth consists of four different stages.
Firstly, the female lays eggs, and these moth eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days. The adult moths have a capacity of laying eggs in the range of 300 to 400 in one time.
The next part of the life cycle of a moth is when the larvae come out of the egg. A moth remains larvae for one to three months. During this period, the larvae can hide between the opening in the pantry. Moreover, it can also make its way into dry food bags. These smaller moths also eat carpet and woolen rugs.
The third stage of its lifecycle is when the larvae become cocoons. The cocoon stage lasts for 8 to 10 days.
After this period, it finally becomes a full adult moth coming out of the cocoon. Depending on various factors, the total lifespan typically ranges from 30 to 300 days.
Several factors decide the total lifespan of a moth.
For instance, temperature conditions, food source, breeding ground, and habitat are the major governing factors for a moth’s lifecycle.
Normally, the moths will have a short life if the environment is warmer.
Moths love to eat food items that have a high content of fiber. Therefore, you will find moths in dry food items in the pantry. These bugs can chew through these food items and contaminate them. They exist in great numbers in the storage cabins of the kitchen.
Furthermore, these create a messy environment in your backyard.
For instance, you are sitting on your patio enjoying a wonderful evening. Suddenly, many moths fly past you, making a buzzing sound. That certainly is something unwelcomed.
Woolen fabric and cashmere clothing units are also favorites of these bugs. The moths will eat these fabrics and even the leather material between them. These flies can ruin clothes by creating a hole in them.
Apart from these damages, moths have a few advantages too. They are the only biological force helping the farmers protect their crops. These moths lay their eggs on many crop-eating insects like caterpillars, resulting in killing them. Therefore, they protect the crops from harmful insects.
Moths are also important bugs when it comes to pollination.
The presence of moths in a farm is not considered harmful since not only do they eliminate harmful bugs, but they also expedite the pollination process. The pollination process is extremely beneficial for crops. Moths can carry pollens over a greater distance as compared to honey bees.
A bug zapper is one of the latest high-tech traps that can kill pantry moths. The bug zapper attracts bugs using UV light of high wavelengths. The blue ultraviolet light has an irresistible lure for moths, fruit flies, and other biting insects.
A bug zapper has a cage-like structure usually made of plastic or an electrically grounded material. The electrically grounded material makes it harmless for the kids and pets present in the house. So, it won’t harm anyone who will touch the outer cage of a bug zapper.
The inner structure of bug zappers comprises an electrical grid. The grid has two electrical wires with minimal space between them, typically a few millimeters. The space between the wires is equivalent to the diameter of a fly.
The electrical wires are surrounded by fluorescent tubes that emit light to lure insects. Whenever a fly touches the electrical wiring system, it completes the circuit. When the fly completes the electrical circuit, it gets a jolt of 4,200 volts.
Ultimately, the fly dies by electrocution. The bug zappers can cover an area of 1,500 square feet. Therefore, they are highly effective for killing insects. These bug zappers are among the best moth traps available to repel moths.
Many latest bug zappers have a collection tray at the bottom of the zapper. It collects the dead bugs after the electrocution process. You can then throw the collected dead bugs once a week.
Last but not least, a bug zapper is called a “zapper” because of the zapping sound it makes when it electrocutes an insect.
A bug zapper works on the principle of electrocution. It can kill mosquitoes, moths, and many more bugs.
Bug zappers can kill moths and help get rid of many other pests. The bug zappers control the infestation of moths by killing these pests.
A moth is a fly that gets attracted to the light of high intensity. Therefore, this electrical moth trap uses ultraviolet light to kill bugs and other insects. Outdoor bug zappers use high-intensity light. The flies and moths are attracted to this blue fluorescent light.
Bug zappers lure the flies into the electrical traps. The high-intensity light provokes the fly to touch it. When the fly touches the electrical wires, bug zappers electrocute it killing it on the spot. The electrocution process is of such intensity that the parts of insects fly and are misted in the air.
That misting of parts of insects may cause air contamination within a radius of 7 feet. However, these health issues have not been verified, and the bug zappers have proved to be incredibly effective as moth traps.
The only disadvantage of these bug zappers by far is that they kill insects indiscriminately.
Many a time, bug zappers also kill beneficial insects like butterflies, caterpillars, and wasps. Moreover, this instrument does not control the infestation of moth eggs and larvae. However, they can help control a mosquito infestation in a household.
You might be interested in the following article
Bug zappers have numerous advantages while getting rid of any kind of pest infestation. Some of the major advantages are highlighted as follows:
The moths are fond of light, and any glimpse of high-intensity light will attract them.
The bug zappers use this to lure these bugs into the electrocution trap. The moths are attracted to these zappers due to the blue light. When attracted, the bugs touch the electric wires and die instantly.
On the other hand, modern zappers are also equipped with special attractant cartridges to control mosquito infestation. A moth is not the only problem disturbing the homeowners. A mosquito is also another bug that requires immediate attention.
A bug zapper uses an electrocution method to kill moths. A high current passes through the two separated electrical wires of bug zappers. These wires are separated by a very small space equal to that of the size of flies.
A high voltage electric current passes through the insect’s body whenever these flies touch these wires. It instantly kills the pest, and the jolt is so high that the misted body parts fall at a distance of 7 feet from the zapper.
Therefore, bug zappers can get rid of a moth and mosquito infestation in a matter of a few hours in the vicinity where they are installed.
Yes, bug zappers work very effectively to get rid of moths.
A moth is a type of bug extremely fond of light. The bug zappers take advantage of this weakness of moth. They come with two fluorescent tubes that emit high-intensity light to attract bugs.
The same reason for the light attraction is suitable for luring and getting rid of bugs like mosquitoes, parasitic wasps, and deerflies.
The Thanos® mosquito trap is a 4-in-1 device with contemporary styling and outstanding next-generation efficacy.
Lethal for mosquitoes, gnats, wasps, moths, and other pests, the device uses UVA light technology in conjunction with electric mesh, a baiting station, and a powerful silent fan system to attract, capture, and kill flying insects in the home or office environment.
Pest control is one of the hassle-free methods that homeowners use to clean their homes from any kind of pest infestation.
The pest control experts normally use toxic chemicals to kill mosquitoes and other bugs. However, these chemicals can be harmful to plants and can have allergic effects on pets.
Therefore, homeowners should deter these chemical methods and use other less harmful and more effective methods. Among these, the zapping traps are the best owing to their exceptional results in a very short period.
Moreover, you can also use several natural traps to contain any type of mosquito infestation. It is pertinent to mention that pest control through chemicals can cause more damage than benefits. Therefore, using bug zappers and other traps is more useful.
Yes, these zappers work on all types of bugs, including mosquitoes.
They can give the best results in a mosquito-infested area. These zappers take advantage of luring mosquitoes and other bugs using blue light.
When the mosquitoes approach the electrical wires, they get electrocuted instantly. The shock is of great intensity that the body parts of a mosquito get misted in the air.
Mosquito infestation is a more severe problem as compared to moths. A mosquito is the only insect that accounts for one million deaths of humans every year. A mosquito is the carrier of major life-threatening diseases like dengue fever.
Therefore, controlling mosquito growth in a house is a major and most important goal of homeowners. Luckily, a regular fly swatter is the fun striking solution for this problem. Do you want to clear your home from mosquitoes while playing strokes of a racket?
A fly swatter is the best option with electrical grids on the net of the racket. You only have to hit the button on the racket to turn on the electricity in it. After that, swing it around and remove the mosquitoes from the premises of your home.
This electrical racket zapper is rechargeable, and it has an extended battery life that goes on for several hours. However, you must take care while using this instrument because the electrical net of the racket can harm anyone if they get in touch with it.
Moths lay their eggs in carpets, rugs, and the spacing between furniture and pantry. A bug zapper can only deter adult moths. The troublesome fact is that the eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days, and thus, the infestation of moths increases exponentially over a short period.
Therefore, people wonder regarding the way to remove hundreds of moth eggs present in their homes. The use of a vacuum cleaner is the best traditional option to remove the eggs of these parasites. The vacuum cleaner pulls out the eggs from the carpet, rugs, clothes, and the spaces between furniture and storage places.
It is advisable to vacuum clean the rugs and carpets after regular intervals. After every week, you can repeat the process to downsize the number of moths and their eggs. It will indirectly help to control the infestation of moths.
Some people put mothballs in their clothing so that the moths do not lay eggs in them. However, this method is known to destroy clothes. The other suitable alternative to deter egg-laying in clothes is by cleaning them with warm water.
Whenever you buy a new cloth, make sure to wash it with hot water and then dry it properly.
It will significantly decrease the population of moths on the premises of your house.
Moreover, cleaning the rugs and carpets is another preventive measure to remove the eggs of these bugs.
The larvae stage of moths is the most destructive one. They can chew their way through the clothes and plastic bags of dry food. Larvae can hide in the fibers of rugs and also in the space between jars and their lids.
In one to three months, it converts into a cocoon. The cocoon takes only 8 to 10 days to become a full adult. Hence, it is imperative to control the larvae infestation before the problem gets out of control. There are various traps to control these semi-adult pesky creatures.
You can use vinegar along with water to wash your rugs and carpets. It is the best natural method to deter these creatures. Use equal concentrations of vinegar and water to make a diluted mixture. After that, wash your rugs and carpets with it to remove the larvae.
Dry food bags are another source of food for these creatures. Therefore, it is advisable to store the dry food products in steel containers or glass containers so that these pests cannot penetrate them. The use of spray is another effective trap for these bugs.
Normally, a spray with a 20% concentration of picaridin is used to remove these insects from the premises of a house. The 20% concentrated picaridin is as effective as DEET.
However, it is not a one-time solution, and the moths may return after the spray mists lose effect in the air. Hence, you will apply this again and again for better results.
The bug zapper is the undisputed champion to neutralize any kind of insect. These zappers work on all types of bugs, and those who touch them die instantly through the deadly electrocution method. Apart from moths, biting insects like mosquitoes are a major headache for homeowners.
However, these zappers have proved equally effective on insects that bite through their attractant cartridges. Many insects do not love the light, and therefore, the latest bug zappers have attractant cartridges in them to lure all the bugs, including those who bite.
Resultantly, the zapper “zaps” or kills them all with a high voltage. The bodies of the bug fall in the collection tray that you can dispose of later.
You might be interested in the following article
Citronella candles are one of the best and easy methods to deter the population of moths. The wax of these candles has a smell that irritates these moths. Therefore, the presence of this material will certainly force these bugs away from your property.
It is pertinent to mention that the moths have strong pheromone senses. Astonishingly, these moths can detect the presence of other moths from a distance of 7 miles using these senses. Therefore, one can also use their sensing ability to trap them into natural traps.
Fish oil is a major attractant for moths. Therefore, you can use a piece of woolen fabric soaked in fish oil and layered with glue to attract these bugs. The result of this method is that they will get stuck with the glue and die ultimately.
Cedar tree chips are one of the best natural repellents for moths. The smell of cedar chips is extremely irritating for these moths, and they quickly vacate the area where this material is present. It is also a good natural substitution for mothballs.
The mothballs placed in clothes can damage them. But the cedar tree chips have a pleasant smell, and they cause no harm to clothes apart from deterring moths and their egg-laying process. Some people also use cedar in the woodwork of their kitchen storage.
The woodwork of cedar will downsize the larvae population of moths. However, cedar woodwork for kitchen storage is rather expensive than other woodworks. Hence, this method is not economically viable and is not much preferred by many homeowners.
Bay leaves are another easy and efficient way to remove the eggs of moths. You can place the bay leaves in your kitchen cabins and your wardrobe. The smell of these leaves is irritating for the moths.
Consequently, the moths leave the premises, and they will certainly avoid laying eggs in that place. It is also significant to highlight that these leaves do not have any harmful impacts on the clothes.
Vinegar is present in every household since it is widely used in food preparation.
Do you know that this vinegar can be a potential natural deterrent for moths?
Yes, vinegar is indeed a natural repellent of moths.
However, the usage of vinegar to eradicate moths is different rather than just spraying it. You have to use it with water.
According to confirmed practical studies, you have to use vinegar with water. The concentration of both vinegar and water should be 50% each.
Once you have prepared this mixture, you can use it to spray in your kitchen cabins wardrobe, and you can also wash your carpets and rugs with it.
Resultantly, the moths will no longer be there to cause any trouble.
Moth repellent sachets are another product available to counter the rising population of moths. A repellent sachet comprises all-natural materials. These moth repellent sachets have rosemary, thyme, and lemon peppermint in them.
All of these natural materials are blended in these sachets. You only have to place these sachets between your clothes and the drawers of your kitchen cabins. The all-natural ingredients will not let the moths make shelter in these places.
Ultimately, the moths will stay away from the place where you have placed those moths’ repellent sachets. Furthermore, they are termed as an excellent alternative to mothballs.
Mosquitoes are a real headache since these blood-sucking pests are carriers of various life-threatening diseases. The mosquitoes have the record of most human deaths as compared to any other insect.
Hence, it is of sheer importance to remove any mosquito infestation in your house. The bug zapper is the ultimate and most effective solution for this problem. Initially, these bug zappers only had high wavelength light to lure insects.
However, the problem is that the mosquitoes are not fond of brightness. Rather, they love the blood of humans. Therefore, old versions of bug zappers failed to control the mosquito problem. The new bug zappers with the latest technology have resolved this issue.
The latest bug zappers have attractant cartridges in them apart from the bright fluorescent tubes. These attractant cartridges emit a mist of liquid that attracts mosquitoes in a matter of a few seconds.
In this way, the mosquitoes end up between the two strands of high voltage electrical wires. The electrical strands will electrocute them instantly.
Thanos mosquito trap has been approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) of the United States and is completely safe for indoor home use.
Moths can be a real problem for any household since their population increases exponentially. The female can lay hundreds of eggs simultaneously, and it takes only a few days for that egg to hatch. The hatched egg will produce the larvae of moths, which will wreak havoc by eating through rugs, carpets, clothes, and dry food items.
There are many natural and instrumental methods to control the scourge of moths. However, the best and most effective method is the use of electric bug zappers. These zappers tend to attract these bugs, ultimately eliminating them through electrocution.
There are various natural methods too for controlling moths. Using vinegar with water is an easy and effective way to remove moths. Similarly, you can also use cedar tree chips both in your clothes and kitchen cabins to stop the population growth of moths.
There are moths’ repellent sachets available in the market consisting of all-natural ingredients. These are perfectly suitable to use in place of mothballs. You can place these sachets in your clothes and storage cabins.
The bottom line is that bug zappers are undoubtedly the best to eradicate these unwanted insects. However, the smart move will be to use bug zappers and some other natural deterrent of moths. A combination of two methods will bear the best results.
You might be interested in the following article
Join over 10,000 happy subscribers and never miss out on future deals
We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.
Get advice from the pest professionals near you.
Chat with people and share your best tips and tricks.
Register as a Thanos ambassador to earn referral fees.
